There is no way Pyke will be dropped unless injured. He is our number 1 ruckman - fact.
There is no way Pyke will be dropped unless injured. He is our number 1 ruckman - fact.
Yes I forgot about Rohan. He is definitely in the best 22.
"Recognised ruckman" is just a semantic title. You could call them "Alpha 3000 Emperor of the Ruckship" and it won't change the reality that the Swans have no one that can compete properly with a genuine ruck athlete. So what is the point of persisiting with a strategy that relies on resources that you don't have? You are proving my point by mentioning Sandilands. Swans don't have anyone than can get close to Sandilands, Nic Nat, Mumford, Goldstein etc so why waste a selection on it? A lateral thinking team may even rove to the opposition ruckman. That would largely neutralise their advantage. Not saying anything should be set in stone, but we signed Bud and the like so a creative solution is probably required.
Also...just because you put Bud and Tip in the forward 50 doesn't mean that every single Swan needs to predictably kick it to them every single time. Two separate issues. Have them as million dollar decoys. Who cares as long as we win.
"Take me down to the Paradise City where the grass is green and the Swans win pretty."
I'd like to see the team kick into space in front of a leading player.
All too often it goes to the wrong side of them, or straight to them and the defenders then have a chance to catch up.
Pretty simple really.
Out: Pyke (injury), Shaw (slowed down and we need more speed), Robinson (gave it a go but not our best 22 yet), Towers (has not got what it takes for our best 30, sorry)
In: Nankervis (put in last game and more mobile than Pyke), Heeney (replaces Shaw), would love to have McGlynn to put in but in his absence - Rose (brave, in and under, work rate and raring to go), X in for Towers.
I would also like sometime soon to see Aliir thrown amongst them, he's big, he's courageous with massive potential.
Has anybody else noticed the afl and other websites haven't updated the ladder? They still all say 14 played. I keep checking and am very sure it's round 16 this week. What's going on?
Our ruck stocks, in order of usefulness are:
1. Tippet
2. Pyke (even injured)
3. Nankervis (as slow as an injured Pyke)
4. Derrickx (generally unco)
5. Nainsmith (unknown quantity)
Its debatable whether any of the 2 to 5 on that list are at AFL standard. Therefore I strongly suggest to the selectors we go with only Tippet, with Reid backup.
And hope that Pyke recovers from injury/form/whatever before the finals. However I think Pyke might be shot, in which case we are in deep do,do's especially with a trade ban stopping us importing a quality ruck replacement.
Couldn't Sam Reid ruck ?
At least he can jump and time his jump, or is he too skinny ?
I agree on the number 1, but not the rest:
1. Tippett
2. Naismith (enigmatic: has been 1-2 weeks away for 2-3 months)
3. Nankervis (slowed himself down so not mistaken for Dean Towers)
4. Pyke
5. Sean McLaren
6. Aliir Aliir
7. Aliir Aliir (brother of above - has first and last names interchanged)
8. Abe Davis
9. Nick Davis
10. Betty Davis (good eyes)
11. Jake Derickx (not so unco younger brother of Tom)
12. Tom Derickx (got tired of this list, so put him much higher than warranted)
"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."
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